eVENT Fabric Launches With Bonfire

December 22, 2000

Kansas City, MO ¿ Dec. 19, 2000¿After more than three years of intense testing and development, BHA Technologies, Inc. along with its partners is delivering the first products made with the revolutionary eVENT Fabric. eVENT Fabric is a Direct Ventingà‚†° waterproof barrier based on the next evolution of ePTFE laminate, which promises to deliver a significant advancement in user comfort. Pearl Izumi and Bonfire Snowboarding are among the first performance apparel companies to incorporate eVENT Fabric into their Fall 2001 outdoor lines, and more customers will be announced at the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market.

eVENT Fabric was developed by some of the leading researchers in the outdoor industry and has been thoroughly field-tested by more than 250 adventurers worldwide who have experienced first-hand the unique comfort benefits of this breakthrough fabric. Unlike other waterproof “breathable” fabrics that move moisture by a two-step process of diffusion, eVENT fabric breathes by a single-step process called “Direct Venting”. The resulting difference in feel has caused more than one field-tester to excitedly ask, “What the hell is this stuff?”

“The amount of positive feedback we’ve collected from eVENT Fabric testers via the eventfabrics.com website has been amazing and the market is more than ready for this product,” said Gordon Roe, Marketing Manager for eVENT Fabric. “With over 250 objective testers wearing eVENT jackets in multiple outdoor activities, sports and weather conditions, and sending us feedback, our customers are confident that not only does the stuff work great, but those who wear it never want to live without it.”

BHA Technologies is currently in talks with several other outdoor clothing manufacturers and expects to announce more customers in the coming months. The first products incorporating eVENT Fabric are scheduled to hit retail store-shelves in August 2001.

“eVENT is some of the best technology we’ve seen, and it offers us a new level of fabric performance to meet the exacting demands of our riders,” said Ben Pruess of Bonfire Snowboards. “eVENT’s flexibility in working with our designer allowed us the freedom to produce products that are truly Bonfire. People will be blown away by our APOLLO Jacket and Pant, which use eVENT, and we expect it to fly out of the stores.”

eVENT Fabric and Direct Ventingà‚†°eVENT Fabric is a Direct Venting waterproof barrier based on the next evolution of ePTFE laminate. Using a proprietary and patent-pending Dry Systemà‚†° technology, eVENT fabric has set a new standard for comfort by allowing perspiration to dissipate and vent before it saturates the inside of the fabric. Check out the details at: http://www.eventfabrics.com

Extreme TestingWe put hundreds of garments made from eVENT Protection Fabrics on real runners, climbers, cyclists and other adventurers all around the world and asked them to tell us what they think. Read all about it at: http://www.eventfabrics.com

About BHA TechnologiesBHA Technologies, Inc. produces ePTFE membranes for use in a variety of consumer and industrial applications and is a wholly owned subsidiary of BHA Group Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BHAG): http://www.bhatechnologies.com

About Pearl IzumiIn 1951 a Japanese fabric salesman by the name of Kinji Shimizu, started designing and creating cycling outfits for his son, a bicycle racer. Soon these innovative styles became the envy of the other riders, and Pearl Izumi was born as the technical leader in cycling apparel. Pearl Izumi has been distributed in the US since 1981, and DashAmerica, Inc.was founded in 1989 as licensee for the American market. DashAmerica, Inc. acquired the brand name outside of Asia in 1996 and continues its focus on the US and European markets: http://www.pearlizumi.com

About BonfireBonfire has been innovating, elevating, and refining high-performance snowboard soft goods for twelve years. Our purpose is to provide the best perrsonal performance solutions for riders worldwide. Built for true individuals, Bonfire believes that riders should choose for themselves what’s right and what works, without compromise. http://www.bonfiresnow.com